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Central Library

Central Library Exterior
Address:
630 W. 5th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone:
213-228-7000
Email:
Contact form
Librarian:
Kren Malone, Director

Hours of Service

Mon: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Tues: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Weds: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Thurs: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Fri: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sat: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sun: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Upcoming Events at Central Library
An instructor and a student review a workbook.
Tuesdays at 11 a. m.
Walk-in Tutors assist adult patrons with reading, writing, English conversation, basic technology assistance, job applications, and...

a young African-American man smiling sitting on a couch, looking down at a laptop that's on a small table, with headphones on
Tuesdays from 12 noon - 1 p.m.
Did you know that the Los Angeles Public Library lends e-books, audiobooks, movies, music, magazines, newspapers, comic books, and more to...

Image of a seated woman in a red sweater at a table helping a standing man with paperwork.
Last Tuesday of the month from 12:30 - 3 p.m.
A convenient one-stop-shop of services and resources for community members experiencing homelessness, life instability, or who are low-...

Globe chandelier located in the Central Library rotunda
Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m.
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and...

Child’s hands holding colorful LEGO-type building bricks.
Tuesdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Enjoy a weekly drop-in creative playtime using building bricks to express your imagination. Intended for ages 6-11. For more information,...

An instructor and a student review a workbook.
Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
Walk-in Tutors assist adult patrons with reading, writing, English conversation, basic technology assistance, job applications, and...

Every Tuesday from 5 - 6:20 p.m.
Practice your English in a group setting by playing theater games while exploring conversational English and grammar. Create characters and...

A teacher reading a newspaper with a student
Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
Walk-in Tutors assist adult patrons with reading, writing, English conversation, basic technology assistance, job applications, and...

Several children and adults watch a woman with long dark hair holding a picture book.
Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
Stories, songs, movement, and more for children aged 18 months to 5 years and their parents/caregivers. For more information, please...

Instructor and students in a classroom
Every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Practice your English by reading short stories and passages in a classroom setting. Improve your comprehension, pronunciation and...



What We're Reading


Recent Blog Posts from LAPL Blog
April 28, 2026
By Nicholas Beyelia, Librarian
In late November 1970, Abigail Lois Cleaves, a Los Angeles resident of more than fifty years, passed away. Gail (as she was more commonly known) had been a Civil Engineer with the Los Angeles County... Continued
April 23, 2026
By Daryl M., Librarian
Tesia Tsai was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Taiwan. She currently teaches at Brigham Young University and lives in Utah with her husband, two cats, and a dog. When not writing or... Continued
April 21, 2026
By Diedre Johnson, Office Services Assistant
Here are fifteen things you never knew about early librarian Mary Foy! Foy had only a high school degree when she became librarian of the Central Library in 1880. She apprenticed under older... Continued
April 20, 2026
The landmark Los Angeles Central Library opened to the public in July 1926. On January 29, 2026, to kick off the library's centennial year, a time capsule that was placed in the building's... Continued

Meeting Rooms

The Literature & Fiction (Upper Level 3) and Business Department (Lower Level 1) have glass-enclosed meeting rooms available for use.

Guidelines

  • Meeting Room hours
    Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
    Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
    Sunday: 1 - 4:30 p.m.
  • Sign ups on the hour or half hour
  • Must have a valid library card
  • Reservations must be made in person, day of and up to one day in advance
  • Two hours per floor per patron
  • Water allowed. No food or drink
  • Three or more people required for large (6 chair) rooms
  • Furniture and chairs must not be moved
  • Dry erase markers and erasers available upon request
  • All library rules apply: Patrons in violation of library rules may be refused service.

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